Teacher Participants Research Articles

Использование диагностического инструмента «Матрица коммуникации» в работе с ребенком с тяжелой осложненной формой аутизма

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objectives. </strong>At the moment, there are extremely insufficient diagnostic tools suitable for examining the communicative sphere of children with severe complicated forms of autism, and recorded practical experience of their use in organizing psychological and pedagogical support for such children. The purpose of the study is to test the diagnostic tool “Communication Matrix” in working with a child of primary school age with a severe complicated form of autism (autism spectrum disorder (ASD), moderate intellectual disability, systemic speech under-development, visual impairment, atopic dermatitis), who was learning the skills of communication using the PECS image exchange communication system.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods. </strong>Diagnostic tool “Communication Matrix”. Data collection was carried out through observation of the child in free and educational activities for one year, and conversation with parents. The study is presented by three diagnostic sections and their analysis.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results</strong>. At the stage of primary diagnosis, the child’s communicative characteristics were described and comments were given regarding the possibilities of taking them into account using the technique. Formed, partially formed and unformed communication skills of a child at the level of unintentional and intentional behavior, non-standard and standard communication, concrete and abstract symbols and language are identified. The objectives of correctional and developmental work are formulated based on a list of communication skills that are in the process of formation. The tasks were included in a special individual child development program and were implemented during the school day by a team of specialists, then reinforced at home with the participation of a private teacher and family members. At the final diagnostic stage, positive dynamics were noted in the development of communication at all levels. After a break (summer holidays), a regression of some skills was noted at the level of unintentional and intentional behavior, standard communication and specific symbols. </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion. </strong>The “Communication Matrix” tool made it possible to conduct an initial diagnosis of the communication sphere of a child with a severe complicated form of autism and determine the tasks of correctional and developmental work. With the help of the instrument, changes in the child’s communicative sphere were recorded during continuous correctional and developmental education and during a break from it. Also, during the work, the advantages and limitations of the technique in relation to a specific diagnostic case were highlighted.</p>

Pentingnya Kolaborasi: Guru sebagai Agen Kunci dalam Meningkatkan Penerimaan Peserta Didik Baru

Digital marketing is overwhelmly replacing offline marketing. One of the classic challenges faced by private schools is student enrollment. The purpose of the programm is to increase teacher’s participation in new student admissions (PPDB) through marketing strategy sessions, teacher motivation class, and a workshop on creating audiovisual media using mobile phones. The community service was held on January 2nd, 2024, and was attended by 34 participants, including principals, teachers, and education staffs from SMK PMB Kutoarjo, SMP PMB Pituruh, and SMP PMB 1 Kutoarjo. The questionnaire data was analyzed descriptively. The training results indicated that most teachers (94.1%) were willing to participate in PPDB digital marketing by sharing promotional media (65.6%), creating promotional media (59.4%), making videos (50%), and involving students in media creation (31.3%) and sharing media (43.8%). Efforts to enhance the participation of teachers in PPDB require personal commitment as well as the support of leaders and policy stakeholders. Collaborative efforts involving teachers as key agent include peer teacher, students, and alumni.

“Defense of Ukraine” degree program for future school teachers: a new element of ukrainian higher education

The article examines various aspects of professional training of future teachers of the “Defense of Ukraine” course for effective legal education among students. The key aspects in this process are the formation of practical skills, legal culture, socio-psychological and methodological readiness of teachers. Emphasis is placed on the use of modern technologies and interactive methods in pedagogical universities to develop legal thinking and patriotic values. Several theoretical methods have been used in the course of research. In particular, the article extensivеly refers to empirical research methods, such as observation, comparison, and monitoring. Modern challenges in the field of national security of Ukraine require active participation of teachers in the formation of legal awareness of students. It is emphasised that successful teacher training requires not only knowledge of law, but also taking into account of individual characteristics and application of innovative pedagogical approaches. In general, the article points out the importance of providing teachers with the necessary competencies to educate Ukrainian citizens who consciously observe their duties and execrise their rights (freedoms).

비대면 교육방식에 대한 초등교사들의 이해와 실행

This study investigated how elementary school teachers implemented non-face-to-face education during the COVID-19 pandemic situation, how they understood it during its implementation and finally discussed its implications. For this purpose, this study conducted in-depth interviews with 12 elementary school teachers and analyzed the collected data using qualitative content analysis. The result of the study found that teachers understood online education as a ‘complement to face-to-face education’ and had implemented non-face-to-face education with ‘an emphasis on reaching the basic academic level’. In addition, although online education was an inevitable choice to prevent the loss of education, the results showed the perception that it is a new education method that goes beyond the limitations of face-to-face education and is determined by teachers’ interests and efforts. Meanwhile, in terms of implementing non-face-to-face education, many implementation forms reduced and reorganized the educational contents as well as it divided educational roles through understanding and collaboration with colleagues, and used new methods for communication among participants. The factors of the implementation of online education were analyzed by dividing them into teachers, curriculum, and class environment, and the conclusions were as follows. First, teachers' interests and awareness of the educational community must be cultivated. Second, teachers must develop their ability to reconstruct educational content and the education authorities should establish a ‘reduced curriculum for the online education’ and ‘online learning center’. Third, improvement of the training system for teachers is required to establish an online class platform and learning material support center and increase teacher participation.

Ministerial touch on teachers’ professional development: A hands-on model as PLCs

Professional learning communities (PLCs) represent a collaborative approach to professional development wherein colleagues engage in joint learning activities that align with their individual needs. Within the realm of education, PLCs encompass tailored initiatives aimed at enhancing teachers’ professional growth, with a specific emphasis on improving educational outcomes for teachers. The success of this approach hinges on the integration of theoretical knowledge and its practical application. The Ministry of National Education recognizes the significance of reevaluating this approach to facilitate the transformation of schools in Turkiye into collaborative learning communities through the implementation of PLC strategies. To realize this vision, the Ministry places great importance on establishing an enabling environment that encourages teacher interaction and offers diverse opportunities for their professional development. The data were collected using document analysis methodology, and the data consisted of encompassed topics related to in-service teacher training. According to the PLC Model, any PLC is utilized, beginning with participant teachers receiving theoretical training from academics and/or experts, followed by being informed about what practices to apply in their own classrooms according to their prior learning from the theoretical phase. Then, community teachers evaluate their own classroom practices, and eventually, they all gather to evaluate practices and conclude the PLC. Good practice examples are shared in the final evaluation in order to inspire other colleagues nationwide. It has been found that teachers are more efficient and productive when they work in collaboration, which is defined as establishing a working partnership in line with common goals and objectives.

Counter-narrative as method: Researching immigrant teachers differently

AbstractThis article addresses the ethical question concerning how educational research helps immigrant teachers gain authority and ownership over their self-understanding and self-becoming. By critically examining prior research and analysing the dominant discourse surrounding this specific group, we highlight the limitations and ethical implications of existing findings. We problematise current methodological approaches ito advocate for the necessity of counter-narratives. By empowering immigrant teachers to ‘author(w)rite’ their own accounts, this form of authorship broadens scholarly discourse, allowing them to pursue self-understanding and assert agency over their narratives. To illustrate our contention, we present our counter-narratives in the form of satirical poetry within boxed texts, highlighting the need to expand and complicate conventional research practices. Through subversive discourse, we emphasise more empowering methodologies in the ethical interpretation and representation of immigrant teacher participants. We suggest that counter-narratives offer an alternative lens through which to examine the lived realities and emotions of immigrant teachers, ultimately enriching scholarly discussions and fostering a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of their humanity.

Learning silence and passivity: Novice teacher's participation in teaching community

This study investigates novice teachers' perceptions of the teaching community in Korea, and how its context shapes their participation in schools. Interviews were conducted with four primary school teachers who were in their first three years in the profession. The analysis revealed that schools neglected to create an environment conducive to the professional development of novice teachers by maintaining a power structure that favours senior teachers over educational values. Furthermore, the age-based inequality challenged the novice teachers’ autonomy, and forced them to remain passive and silent. Facilitating their voice is key to promoting constructive change in the community.

Expanding Education Researchers' Access to Classroom Observation Data With a Remote and Cost-Effective Video Data Collection Protocol.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated long-term shifts to virtual instruction among most US schools presented notable challenges among education researchers. Ongoing projects conducted in school settings experienced sudden losses of access to teacher and student participants, in many cases leading to severe interruptions to data collection efforts. Perhaps most notably, upon returns to in-person instruction in the 2021/22 academic year most schools instigated strict policies limiting the number of non-school personnel who could enter school buildings, including researchers conducting in-person data collections. As such, many researchers had to find alternative means to gather data. In this paper, we offer a new protocol that we created in response to these challenges that allows for the secure and fully remote collection of video data in school settings. This new protocol not only addressed the immediate needs of the focal study but also addresses some of the most notable barriers to collecting classroom video data in the field of education research at large. In this paper, we describe the initial development and application of this protocol among a local study of elementary teachers, as well as the scaling of this protocol in a study of elementary teachers in multiple states. It is our hope that this protocol can expand education researchers', practitioners', and policymakers' access to classroom video data.

Examination of primary school teachers’ attitudes and views towards multicultural education

Just like in many countries around the world, there is a multicultural society in Northern Cyprus. As migrations to the island continue to increase, the phenomenon of multiculturalism has begun to be discussed in the education system. This research was conducted with the aim of determining the attitudes and views of primary school teachers in Northern Cyprus towards multicultural education. Mixed methods strategy was used in this research. In the research, the concurrent triangulation strategy from mixed methods strategies was used. Data collection tools the Teacher Multicultural Education Attitude Scale and developed interview form were used. In the quantitative part of the research, the Teacher Multiculturalism Attitude Scale was applied to 111 randomly selected teachers. According to the survey results, no significant difference was detected depending on the variables of gender, nationality, professional seniority, branch, graduation degree and graduated school. However, significant differences were identified in the multiculturalism scores age and based on the region where the teachers were employed. In the qualitative part of the research, interviews were conducted with 12 participant teachers. According to the qualitative findings, teachers perceived multiculturalism as diversity in terms of nationality, ethnic background, language, and religion. Further, teachers indicated that education in Northern Cyprus does not cater to a multicultural structure, leading to various problems experienced by students and parents, primarily related to communication. The teachers attributed this situation to the unpreparedness of the Ministry of Education (MEB) and the reluctance to change education policies due to an exclusive society. Subsequently, teachers expressed that they did not consider themselves competent in multicultural education and expressed a willingness to participate in in-service training programs if provided.

Implementation of Academic Supervision of Madrasah Supervisors in Improving the Quality of Islamic Education Learning in Gowa Regency

This study aims to explore the implementation of Academic Supervision by Madrasah Supervisors in Gowa Regency in improving the quality of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) learning. Academic supervision is considered a solution to improve teacher competence, but its implementation is still considered low. This research method is field research involving interviews, observation, and documentation studies. The results showed that academic supervision planning is the primary responsibility of madrasah supervisors, with the Academic Supervision Plan (RPA) as a critical instrument. Despite facing limitations such as busyness, supervisors try to be efficient by using the Bimlat. The active participation of PAI teachers in supervision planning is recognized as a crucial factor in improving the quality of PAI learning. The initial year meeting involved PAI teachers in preparing an academic supervision work plan, creating a collaborative spirit. Evaluation and analysis of supervision results and follow-up are still a challenge. Time constraints are a bottleneck, and immediate feedback is given after supervision, but comprehensive follow-up has not yet been fully implemented. This research implies that academic supervision needs to be carried out through planned, systematic, and local culture-based stages, "able sitting." Values such as deliberation, mutual respect, mutual reminding, mutual glorification, and cooperation are expected to enrich the implementation of academic supervision and improve the quality of PAI learning in madrasas.

The CoP Theory in Reading Enhancement Programme(REP) from Pragmatic Lens of Language Development

The Community of Practice (CoP) theory is principally anchored on active involvement of members of the community with one common shared purpose. They foster camaraderie and preform a common practice. In applied linguistics, CoP is a less explored area of language learning. By highlighting the benefits of CoP, school administrators will be able to solicit active involvement from stakeholders. A phenomenological approach was adopted to investigate the independent and dependent variables under qualitative research design. One hundred five L2 learners and 2 teacher participants served as a bridge to offer philosophical findings to the framed RQs. Features such as consultation conferences, orientation to the internal and external stakeholders and commitment to the school-based intervention are the essential features of CoP and REP. Presence of parents, donation of instructional materials, reading follow-up at home, financial support of LGU & NGO as well as close monitoring of school administrator paved the way for the increase in the academic performances. Researcher concludes that CoP theory has been found efficient in implementing REP incorporating principles of pragmatism to language development.

Cross-Cultural Context in ELT in Nepal

This study explored the teachers’ practices of English Language Teaching (ELT) in cross-cultural context. Two teachers teaching English at secondary level schools located at Kapilvastu Municipality, Kapilvastu District were interviewed through zoom meeting to excavate the findings. While teaching in the multi-cultural classroom, teacher participants experienced communication misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the meaning due to the cultural differences of the students. Teachers were in need of the trainings for developing their professionalism in teaching effectively to multicultural students and in multicultural classrooms. However, they were not being facilitated with any kind of multi-cultural students teaching trainings so that they could make their teaching more effective to the students from diverse cultural backgrounds and linguistic differences. The study revealed that teachers had to teach in diverse cultural classes, shared learning of culture was practised using contextualization method and linguistics chaos was dug out in meaning construction. English language teaching and learning were influenced by mother tongues, cultural differences and cultural domination.

Knowledge and Participation of Physical Education Teachers in the Official Sports Events

21st century teachers are expected to develop 21st century competencies in students in more diverse classrooms, while increasing the study of teaching and learning. Teachers must update their teaching techniques, adopt creative teaching methods, and mobilize multiple sources of information to achieve this goal. In this paper, 150 teachers from Guangdong University of Science and Technology (GUT), Guangdong Foreign Studies University (GUFS) and Guangdong Institute of Science and Technology (GDPST) were evaluated by using literature, expert interviews, questionnaire and mathematical statistics to evaluate their knowledge in physical education teaching, including their physical education teaching experience, contact with students and their knowledge The ability to integrate teaching technology. This will further determine the level of teachers' participation in official sporting events, including their willingness, athletic skills and the impact of participation. The main conclusions of the study are as follows:1. The sample used in the study was primarily composed of teachers that were aged 25-29 years old and were mostly female. Their teaching experience ranged from 10 years and above, making the sample have a large population of well-experienced educators. Lastly, during sports events, these teachers would mostly have the role of being officials when participating. 2.For teaching knowledge, the respondents showed to have agreeable positive responses in all fields of experience, engagement, and technology. Although, the knowledge on technology scored the highest, indicating that the respondents had more knowledge in using this when participating in sports events. 3.The assessments showed no significant relationship in the teachers’ knowledge in teaching sports when compared to the different demographic factors assessed. 4.For teachers’ participation in sports events, there was a fairly agreeable positive assessment for the overall analysis. Although when looking at the indicators individually, only the impacts from participation scored positively, making this a strong indicator in the teachers’ participation. On the other hand, willingness and skills scored poorly, indicating the need to improve these two areas.5. The assessments showed no significant relationship in the teachers’ participation in sports when compared to the different demographic factors assessed. 6.Lastly, a positive correlation was found only between the teachers’ engagement and the teachers’ impacts from participation, confirming that these two indicators are linked and affect one another in the study.

Engendering preprimary education in Zanzibar: question of male teachers’ under-representation in early childhood teaching and learning

ABSTRACT This study investigated the factors contributing to the low participation of male teachers in preschool education in Zanzibar. Drawing upon social constructionist feminism theory, the study employed a qualitative approach involving eight respondents: 3 from Mjini and 5 female preschool teachers from the Magharib B district of Zanzibar. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analysed thematically. The study identified several factors influencing the low participation or underrepresentation of male preschool teachers, including concerns about child safety, low wages and salaries, lack of support, and negative societal attitudes. The study recommends that the government and other preschool educational stakeholders implement measures to challenge these negative attitudes and promote a more inclusive preschool teaching environment.

Teachers’ ICT in pedagogy: A case for mentoring and mirrored practice

The rapid expansion of the knowledge society, due mainly to the ubiquity and access of information and communication technology (ICT), places a professional demand on teachers to acquire relevant knowledge to make use of technology in their classrooms. Thus, for teachers to effectively integrate ICT into their teaching repertoire, they must transform their pedagogical practices. In this regard, the quality of pre-service and in-service training is pivotal in preparing teachers for effective technology integration. Utilising a case study approach and Activity Theory principles as a theoretical lens, this study set out to explore the influence of ICT as a tool of instruction on the classroom practice of in-service teachers in Rwanda. Qualitative methods were employed to capture data through interviews, observations, and document analysis. Data was analysed using content analysis to understand in-service teachers’ constructions about learning through ICT and how it influenced their classroom practice. The investigation of the influence of ICT as an instructional tool to in-service teachers yielded unique patterns of their ICT learning-teaching experiences. The findings were two-fold. First, the ICT learning experiences of the in-service teachers changed their perspective towards teaching and learning with ICT in their own classrooms. Second, the teacher participants vicariously mirrored their lecturers’ use of ICT in their own classroom practice. This unintended experience created affordances for the in-service teacher trainees to not only learn ‘about’ ICT, but significantly ‘how to teach’ pedagogically with ICT. It is crucial for teacher trainees to experience the same type of learning environments they are expected to create in their own classrooms.

Exploring English Teachers' Difficulties in Teaching Speaking

Speaking is an essential part of mastering any language, including English. However, teaching speaking often poses various difficulties and obstacles for teachers. This research aimed to investigate the difficulties English teachers face when teaching speaking skills in the classroom. The study utilized a qualitative case study approach, collecting data through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires with eight teacher participants who all taught the same grade level at different schools. The findings revealed five major difficulties: 1) teachers' lack of vocabulary; 2) students' lack of motivation and student anxiety; 3) insufficient school facilities and equipment; 4) curriculum used. This shows that problems arise from multiple factors, not just one, and solutions are needed to minimize these difficulties.

Effect of Teachers’ Perception Towards Performance Appraisal on Its Implementation in Public Secondary Schools in Mbooni East Sub-County, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of teachers’ perception of performance appraisal on its implementation in public secondary schools in Mbooni East Sub-County, Kenya. The study was based on the Expectancy Theory of Motivation and was conducted using a descriptive survey design. The target population was 47 Principals and 416 teachers in public secondary schools in Mbooni-East Sub-County. A sample of 19 Principals and 126 teachers was selected through both stratified and simple random sampling. Quantitative data was then analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was categorized into themes in accordance with the research objective and presented in narrative form. Results revealed that teachers’ perception of performance appraisal affected its implementation. In as much the teachers’ both negative and positive perceptions about the implementation of performance appraisal, they noted that performance appraisal had had a positive impact on their teaching standards and their teaching profession as a whole. The Ministry of Education should organize more workshops and seminars to sensitize teachers on the importance of performance appraisal and how to use the TPAD tool. The Ministry should also engage teachers in public participation to ensure that they incorporate the required changes in the performance appraisal process to make it more productive.

Training Teachers for the Career Guidance of High School Students

The article addresses the decision-making process of career choice among high-school students and emphasizes the importance of supporting their informed decisions by trained teachers acting as career-guidance counselors. While, ideally, school counselors handle career counseling, their limited availability necessitates the involvement of other resources, such as trained teachers. The present study introduces a career-guidance training program for teachers, implemented with 20 Romanian and 20 Serbian teachers. The research conducted simultaneously with the training aimed to assess the effectiveness of this cross-national program in enhancing teachers’ competence in career guidance. Utilizing a longitudinal mixed methodology, the study assessed the teachers’ perceptions of the training’s effectiveness and sustainability over a period of 24 months. Two questionnaires featuring multiple-choice and open-choice questions were employed. The results consistently indicated that teachers rated the training as excellent or very good across various dimensions, including content, trainers, didactic materials, and applications. Challenges were noted in designing and implementing group career activities compared to individual ones, with no significant differences observed between Serbian and Romanian teachers. After 24 months, a deductive content analysis of open-ended questions assessed the sustainability of acquired competencies. Our findings indicated active teacher participation in career-guidance activities, primarily with final-year students serving as class teachers or subject instructors. In the context of a scarcity of career-counseling specialists, training teachers as career-guidance advisors emerges as a viable solution. The study highlights the potential of such training programs to address the critical need for comprehensive career guidance in schools.

Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions and Use of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention Strategies: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Investigation

Preschool classrooms serve children of varying abilities, including those who may benefit from social communication intervention. Research supports the use of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBI) to effectively increase the social communication skills of young children. Yet, little is known about preschool teachers’ perspectives on and use of NDBI strategies. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to integrate data from classroom observation, teacher self-report, and qualitative interviews to understand training and support needs for increasing implementation of NDBIs in a preschool classroom context. Eight preschool teachers provided a recording of an intervention session, self-reported their use of NDBI strategies, and participated in an interview to discuss their experiences. Results indicate preschool teacher participants perceive NDBI strategies favorably although they may need targeted support understanding and using NDBI strategies. We discuss implications for practice that may support increased use of NDBIs by preschool teachers.

Shared Space: promoting teachers’ academic understanding of inter-religious dialogue through a teacher fellowship model for religious education (RE)

We report on the design of a close-to-practice research project situated in Southwest England exploring the relationship between developing teachers’ ‘powerful knowledge’ of inter-religious dialogue in religious education (RE) through a teacher fellowship model for RE specialists, including a specialist curriculum development programme and co-constructed evaluation of an intervention seeking to promote ‘warmer’ community relations. This current phase of the ‘Shared Space’ project combines insight from two existing subject-specific knowledge exchange projects—undertaken by us—with a Teacher Fellowship approach to pedagogical and curriculum knowledge development pioneered by the Historical Association, and an emerging one, ‘After RE’. The current Shared Space project addresses two established concerns in RE that are not normally connected: (1) the lack of rigorous subject knowledge held by RE teachers in England; (2) the assumption that good RE in schools can promote community relations, a widely accepted assumption hitherto without much evidence to support it. Here we set out a justification for the project and the form it will take, based on established Shared Space principles of how best to support in-service teachers’ ongoing professional development through knowledge exchange with academics, mindful of equal power relations. While appreciating aspects of the notion of ‘powerful knowledge’ on which ‘theory-rich’ Teacher Fellowships have been based, we cite thinking from the emerging After RE project to suggest a modified theoretical framework for our investigation which will innovate methodologically when evaluating its impact in partnership with teacher participants.